Raising Money Is Never Fun, But For Us Now Is The Time.

Unfortunately, the main reason for me writing you is not as joyful. Most of you know Kae, one of our community members since the founding of Panya is in dire need of our help. Her son, Namcha has been diagnosed and is now being treated for late-stage lung cancer. The good news is that so far he has reacted well to the treatment, but the outcome is still far from certain.

His mother and sister, Kae and Ping, live at the Panya Project, a permaculture education center in Northern Thailand, and have had their lives turned upside down by this news.

Kae is now staying in Bangkok and doing everything she can as a mother to keep NamCha’s spirits up and prepare him for the surgery. We at the Panya Project have little idea how much the cost will be for the surgery, but told Kae that she should not worry about money at this time, but just be present with her son.

A Shocking Diagnosis

In early March, 2017, NamCha Sodthamna, at only 15 years old, was diagnosed with late-stage lung cancer.

As of this writing, March 21st, 2017, he is at a hospital in Bangkok in constant care as his operation date approaches. This time has been incredibly hard for his family and the whole community that surrounds NamCha.

Update: May 1: I sat down with Kae this morning to get the most up to date information. The current news is this:
Namcha is still in the hospital and has been going through chemotherapy. The doctors said that the cancer has stopped growing and they are monitoring his situation to see if he can breath on his own. When the cancer drops in size they will perform surgery to remove the remaining cancer cells. In two weeks, if he can breath well on his own, it is possible that he can come home, but would still need to return to the hospital on a regular basis to perform further chemotherapy.

When I asked Kae if she is hopeful about his recovery, she said she doesn’t know. She is working to not be attached. Not get too hopeful, not get too sad.

We’ve put together a crowdfunding campaign to help Kae and her family pay for the treatment and to cover all the other expenses associated with this situation.